The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 454

Ter. 25, note.) vcr. 25) stmng i, but I alone h0.ve thnt know- Ver. 27.-All things. Not in the widest lerlgo of God which ennbles me to under- sense, for this wonld forestall eh. xxviii. 18; stand hie ways; I alone, yet others o.lso, if but e.11 things the.t e.re required for my work I rcvenl him to them. As St. Luke ex- or manifesting the truth. The uttcmnce is pressed it in hie form of our ver. 19, thus both closely parnllel to John viii. 28, "Wisdom is justified of her children" (comp. and also in most iutiurnte connexion with also John xiv. 9). To whomsoever. Though the preceding vel"8es. God's twofold action but a be.be (vcr. 25). Will reveal; willeth- in hiding the truth from some and revealing f,o reveal (Revised Version); /30,',>..71-ra, ••• it to others is, our Lord says, all of n piece a,ro,ca.>..6,j,,u. Not u is commended," for Christ with my whole work. This is all arranged clnims equality (see Chrysostom). Notice by my Father, e.nd the knowledge of God the idea of plan and deliberation, e.nd not by any man is no chance matter. Are that of mere desire, unable, perhaps, to delivered unto me; have been delivered e.ssigu a reason for its emtenoe (9l>.."'); of. (Re-rised Version); rather, u,ere d<llivered Philem. 13, 14. (..-ap,00671). Here aleo it is possible to in- terpret the aorist from the stnndpoint of the Vere. 28-30.-In Matthew only. Ver. herenfter (ver. 25, note); but, e.s it is im- 28: An invitation to e.11 who need him, and mediately followed by the present tense, it an unconditioned promise of welcome. Ver. more probably refers to some time earlier 29: A summons to submit to hie teaching, than that at which our Lord we.s speaking. and a promise that those who do so ehe.ll The time of his entrance on the world find rest in it. Ver. 30 : •For his "service ia naturally suggests itself. Observe that here, when bringing out his dependence npon hie perfect freedom." Father, onr Lord lays stress on the notion Notice the sharp contre.st between the of transmission (1rapeo&611); but in eh. nvili. width of this invitation e.nd the apparent 18, where be is bringing out his post- limitation of the preceding statement (ver. resnrrection greatness (Phil. ii. 9), he 27). The truths of prevenient grace and merely mentions his authority as an absolute mnn'e free-will may not be eepe.re.ted. gift (,00671). Notice the contrast implied in ,rc:.peoo~ to the Jewish ..-apd.iio,ns. The Ver. 28.-Come (lieii-i-e); eh. iv. 19, note. Pharisees boasted that their tradition came There is less thought of the process of from God, though through many hands; coming than in the very similar invitation Christ cle.imed to have received his from in John vii. 37. Unto me, all ye the.t labour God himself. Of(t',..-cf). Forthetranemission and are hee.vy laden. The toileu and was immediate; there were no links between burdened (ol ,co,r1Giwr•s ,cal ..-.,pop-r,o-JJ-evo,). the Giver and the Receiver (cf. Bishop Our Lord purposely did not define in what Lightfoot, on Gel. i 12). My Father; the toil e.nd burden consisted; for he would me . . . my. Observe tbe double claim; include e.11, from whatever quarter their toil hie unique position e.s Teacher is due to and burden came. But since the spiritual his unique relation by nature. And no is the central part of man (oh. v. 3, note), ma.n kn.oweth; i.e. with a gradual, but at the more that the toil or burden is felt there last complete, perception (;..-,"'(1vwo-Ke1). In so much the stronger would our Lord's the Gospels this word is used of tbe know- reference to it ba. He would therefore be ledge of God and of Ch1·iet iu this verse inviting most especially those that toil in alone, though such a reference is especially legal ways of righteousness (Rom. x. 2, S), suited to its meaning of perfection of know- and e.re bnrdened untlcr Pho.rieaio enaot- ledge (cf. Bishop Lightfoot, Col. i. 9). The ments (Luke xi. 46). And I. Emphatic llon. Not "me," because Obrist wished to (,c11"'(w). However others mny treat you. bring out more clearly hie unique relatiou Will give you rest (&11a,ra60-"' 6JJ,as). Not to to God, and thus to emphasize the impos- be identified with the phrase in ver. 29 (see sibility of any one, even an advanced there). As contrasted with ,rail"' (see Bishop diecipie, folly knowing him. But the Father. Lightfoot, on Philem. 7 e.ud on Igne.t., •Eph.,' Not "hie Father." It may be that Christ § 2), ava,ra.tl"' refers to temporary re. ther than wishes to include the suggestion that after permanent cessation from work, and it th118 e.ll there is a sense in which hie Father is especially connotes refroshment .of body and the Father of all men, but more probably, soul obtained through such rest. In con• by making 6 ,ra-r-hp completely parallel to formity with this we find.ciJ,d..-11uo-u- regularly 6 ulor, he wishes to suggc,st tlui.t the full used in the LXX. e.s a translation of idea. of Sonship and Fatherhood is nowhere eabbathon (" mbbath-keeping," e.g. Exod. else 80 fully satisfied. Neither kn.oweth xvi. 23, for which tra/3fJ11-r,o-JJ-OS comes in any me.n the Father, save the Son. and he Heb. iv. 9 o.s an equive.lent). The thought, lo who111Soever the Son will reveal him. therefore, here is not tho.t those who oome ~n. xr. 1-30.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO BT. MATTllEW. 451